Start of an era? Sporting Kansas City captain Jimmy Nielsen holds the US Open Cup trophy in midweek. It is the first trophy won by the club at their new home of Livestrong Sporting Park. Photo: Brad Smith/ISI/Corbis Brad Smith/ Brad Smith/ISI/Corbis

OK, first things first - let's congratulate Sporting KC for winning the US Open Cup on Wednesday night ensuring a) that Seattle Sounders wouldn't win a record fourth successive trophy and b) that I didn't spend the evening squinting from the press box at indistinct AC Milan and Real Madrid players knocking the ball around somewhere in the distance at Yankee Stadium, but instead spent it on a chair giving updates on the weather just outside Kansas City. I care because you do.

Sporting KC are back in Eastern Conference action against DC United on Saturday night, while the Sounders face a tough test regrouping for a trip to San Jose the same evening (that'll be our live game this weekend). And speaking of regrouping, New York must try pick themselves up after their defeat at Houston last Friday night, to defend their unbeaten home record against the same opponentsthis Friday night.

Normally a rivalry game between Columbus and Toronto would be guaranteed to come with some edge, but the game has been entirely overshadowed by the untimely death of Columbus midfielder Kirk Urso last week. There will be tributes for the player at the game.

FC Dallas look to have turned a little bit of a corner, while their opponents Colorado, will have been glad to turn the page of the calendar that said "July". They beat rival Real Salt Lake last week, after a winless previous month. Like Seattle, RSL don't have it easy as they try to get back on track - with a tricky away trip to Vancouver coming up.

Three games on Sunday this week - Philadelphia Union face Chicago Fire in what could be a decent measure of relative progress for both sides, after decent second quarters of the season. Meanwhile New England face Montreal as the post-Shalrie Joseph era continues for the Revs, against the Impact and their Serie A veterans. Finally, the team Joseph went to, Chivas USA, "host" the final Superclasico of this year's three, against LA Galaxy, with the mini-series currently tied at one apiece.

Some of our regular cast of fan reps, bloggers and beat writers are back to give a local perspective on each of the weekend's competing teams and their chances - see what they have to say and add your own predictions in the comments section. We'll be back on Monday, reflecting on the Five Things we Learned this weekend. In the meantime, join me for this weekend's live game, San Jose vs Seattle, and/or follow me on Twitter @KidWeil for updates on that and other matters of grave import.

All game times listed are EST

New York Red Bulls vs Houston Dynamo, Fri 8pm (NBCSN)

The Red Bulls had a chance last Friday to really establish a foothold atop the Eastern Conference if they could take three points from Houston Dynamo. Unfortunately, Hans Backe's men came out and delivered one of the most lackluster performances from any team this season. There was minimal creativity despite the addition of Tim Cahill to the lineup, and for the most part the Red Bulls seemed like they wanted to be anywhere else than in Texas that night.

So on that Friday night, the Red Bulls surrendered the Eastern Conference lead to Houston, and must now settle for playing Houston for the Eastern Conference lead on Friday night. MLS scheduling logic, ladies and gentlemen! This time the Red Bulls are at home, where they, just like Houston, are undefeated on the season. Tim Cahill should be good for about 60 minutes in his proper home debut, but he and the rest of the proper attacking forces - Thierry Henry, Kenny Cooper and Sebastien Le Toux - will have to show they have the desire to play and win. A second consecutive loss against Houston, and New York can kiss almost any hope of a number one seed goodbye, and will instead be staring at an increasingly tight middle of the table.

Nothing rhymes with orange...except WINNING. Not only did the Dynamo get to fire off El Capitan (the replica 18th century mountain howitzer cannon awarded to the winner of the season series between Houston and FC Dallas), they whooped the New York Red Bulls to take over first place in the Eastern Conference. Now, I know it's only August but the Dynamo are playing some stout soccer right now and there's no reason to believe that's going to change. The 4-3-3 formation is working to perfection and thanks to Jermaine Taylor being a genuine bad ***, the loss of Geoff Cameron is not causing the defense any problems.

A second straight match with the Red Bulls, this time in New York...don't you just love MLS scheduling? This won't be easy, in fact it wouldn't surprise if the Red Bulls are able to get some revenge, especially with Dax McCarty back from suspension. Still, the Dynamo are playing great and I don't think there's any team that scares them at the moment, at least in the East. It should be a great game and I really think the Dynamo can get another win. Maybe I'm being greedy, but it's hard not to be confident about this team at the moment. That said, a draw would be perfectly fine with me.

Vancouver Whitecaps vs Real Salt Lake, Sat 7pm

The Whitecaps have had an extended break, which is probably good for the team, as they have to assimilate a few new players. Scottish internationals Barry Robson and Kenny Miller were excused from international duty so they could settle in with the team, and new defender Andy O'Brien and Brazilian midfielder Tiago Ulisses should get some time to train with the team, though don't look for either to start a game soon.

Our last game was a tough 2-1 defeat to Real Salt Lake in Utah. The team played well, with Darren Mattocks impressing again and Robson showing his quality in the middle of the park again. We could have left Utah with something, but a couple of defensive mistakes gifted Real Salt Lake the victory.

Saturday's game is a re-match against Real Salt Lake, a game we need to get something from if we're going to stay firmly in a play-off spot. We saw last game that we can compete with and even outplay the Western powerhouse team, especially in the middle of the park, so we'll head into the game hoping for a win. Our home form is stellar, our players are fit and rested, and Rennie has some depth on the bench if he needs it. Look for Bonjour and DeMerit to redeem themselves. Our entire team needs to play a solid 90 minutes, and we'll need something special (again) from our strike force. Maybe Miller to get his first goal in a Whitecaps shirt?

For Real Salt Lake there are 10 matches left in the MLS regular season. Their last 10 matches didn't show well with just a 4-5-1 record and that has a lot of people asking questions about how good this RSL side might be. Are they too old? Are they too comfortable as a team? Are they too slow? Too narrow? And all of those are valid questions for a team that has struggled for the last two months. Coming off their 1-0 loss at Colorado last weekend, RSL now has to head north of the border to take on the Vancouver Whitecaps, a team that they faced just a couple weeks ago at Rio Tinto Stadium. In that match RSL picked up a hard fought 2-1 win.

That match ended with Joe Cannon being given a straight red card for handling the ball outside of the area, and since Vancouver has had the last two weeks off they should be well rested and ready to go without their number one keeper. For RSL it has been thousands of miles of travel to Costa Rica and then Colorado, now they have to try to find a way to beat a Whitecaps side that has only lost once at home this year and they have to do it without Jamison Olave, who is out with an injury. Mission Impossible? Nope, but it sure isn't going to be easy. RSL must find a way to force Vancouver to make mistakes and then capitalize on them, and that is easier said than done. I am picking a 2-2 draw in this one.

Columbus Crew vs Toronto FC, Sat 7.30pm

With the tragic, sudden, and still unexplained death of 22 year old rookie midfielder Kirk Urso Sunday morning, it may seem inappropriate to fret over and analyze something as seemingly meaningless as a game. There was even talk of postponing this weekend's match, but Coach Warzycha decided that Urso would "want us to go on the field and win the game and play as hard as he did." As condolences and remembrances continue to funnel in, there is one common thread: Urso loved soccer. There can be few better ways to honor him than to pour ourselves into our own Saturday routines with all the dedication he showed, but now, with a much greater appreciation for how special each weekend is that we get to spend watching the sport we love with the people we love.

Last week it was the same old Crew: agonizingly pitiful offense, Gruenebaum with more outstanding goalkeeping, good defense with one small mistake that leads to an unlucky goal (credit to D.C.'s Pontius, however, he has shown a great knack for goal this season), and the Crew drops another close one.

This week sees old foe Toronto return to Columbus. The Crew won early this season 1-0 in Toronto. But, this isn't the same TFC team that lost its first nine games of the season. With a new coach and lots of new faces on the pitch, Toronto is much improved, but they're still struggling to play well in successive games. The Crew have also been inconsistent, which makes this game hard to call. The real question will probably be if heavy hearts make for heavy feet and clouded minds, or if tragedy will inspire victory? This week, I just have to believe in these guys. 2-1 for Kirk's friends in black and gold.

Last week saw Toronto FC go into Chicago on the back of a 5-1 Concacaf Champions league win, and with new signing Eric Hassli making his debut up front. What happened was a bit of a let down. Hassli showed his class for sure, but didn't really touch the ball much as it was all Chicago, all the time. TFC actually took the lead when Ryan Johnson, capitalising on a misplaced backpass from Marco Pappa, scored while simultaneously slipping over. It was 1-0 at half time, but Chicago came back and after Logan Emory was sent off, and with Jeremy Hall off injured, Chicago added the insult by scoring the winner against the 9 men. It finished 2-1, a thoroughly deserved loss for TFC, very much killing off the faint playoff hopes that sprang from their earlier 3 game win streak.

This week it's to Columbus, and as well as hopefully getting 90 minutes from Hassli, they'll (fitness permitting) be reinforced at the back by new signing Darren O'Dea, formerly of Celtic and most recently Leeds United. Given the Kirk Urso news, this should be a very emotional game, and how the Crew react could decide it really. Will they be motivated to win one for Kirk? Probably - in which case they'll have too much for TFC. Crew win 2-1.

Sporting Kansas City vs D.C. United, Sat 8.30pm

Coming off the buzz from its US Open Cup win – and ending an eight year run without a trophy – Sporting KC will be one of two things in its upcoming match against DC United: fatigued or inspired. Sporting KC got the win after 129 minutes of play, but did not come away injury-free. Left back Seth Sinovic was assisted off the pitch due to what looked to be an ankle injury. This creates some instability for the SKC back line, with Collin out of play the last couple of matches and Chance Myers (who played all 129 minutes on Wednesday) just returning from injury. Even if the starting defenders hit the pitch Saturday, there is still the need for Vermes to be cautious. DC United's De Rosario will be a definite threat.

In the midfield, Graham Zusi has looked unfocused and Roger Espinoza is back from the Olympics and looking good despite having virtually no rest. His compatriot at DC United, winger Andy Najar, has rested and could prove difficult for Sporting KC. On the upside, forward Teal Bunbury seems to be finding his form lately. With Bunbury, CJ Sapong and Kei Kamara up, there is a lot of opportunity for Sporting to score some goals. Sporting KC has won its past two matches against DC United and has kept four clean sheets in its past six matches in League competition. DC United has struggled to score on the road, but Sporting KC has struggled to score at home. This may be an evenly fought match for these two, but a necessary win for Sporting KC to keep its place at the top of the table.

Saturday's 1-0 win over the Columbus Crew wasn't exactly a resounding one for D.C. United, but it was a win nonetheless. Following two road losses and an unbalanced schedule that gave United lots of time to wallow in their temporary slump, getting back on track was critical at RFK Stadium. United dominated possession for much of the match and had far better chances, but could only finish one of them. Chris Pontius got his 10th goal of the season in finishing off a great run from rookie Nick DeLeon to put D.C. on top. The return of Argentine center back Emiliano Dudar helped solidify the shutout for the home team.

This weekend's match won't quite be as simple as United pays a visit to Sporting Kansas City for a big battle between talented teams that could determine playoff position in the Eastern Conference. The Sporks just played in the U.S. Open Cup Final on Wednesday night, so United may be catching them at a good time. Look for Pontius and Dwayne De Rosario to attack their tired legs endlessly and without regret.

FC Dallas vs Colorado Rapids, Sat 9pm

The feud between Brek Shea and Schellas Hyndman has come to an apparent end, with the young star returning to the starting lineup for this past weekend's game against Portland. The return paid dividends as well, with Shea setting up Scott Sealy for a 51st minute goal. Unfortunately, the Hoops also welcomed the return of the red card to our squad as well. Zach Loyd and Franck Songo'o had been locked in a fierce battle all game long, with Loyd picked up a second yellow card not long after the goal. The Dallas defense fought valiantly, but gave up an equalizer in the late stages. Two more squandered points in a season full of wasted opportunity.

This weekend, we welcome the return of the Colorado Rapids to Frisco, Texas. The Rapids are the side that hosted the come-from-behind victory that snapped our three-month winless streak last month, and we relish the opportunity to rack up more points against the struggling Rapids. Loyd's red card suspension will mean more that the attack will need to compensate for a weakened back line. Fortunately, David Ferreira has quickly returned to his 2010 form captaining the midfield. He and Shea looked strong working together in Portland and supporters are hoping to see more of their collaboration on Saturday night.

Last week the Rapids stopped the rot with a hard fought 1-0 win against Real Salt Lake, their first in 9 attempts. Rapids fans have to cast their minds back to May 2009 to recall the last win against their Rocky Mountain Cup rivals. The team played with the heart & soul that fans love to see & there really was no better team to bring the losing streak to an end. Because the victory was against RSL, it's almost as if it's worth 2 or 3 against other teams. They say the game is built on hope & there is plenty of that around Denver at the moment; hope that the bad times are past, hope that we may just still be able to make a run for the play-offs.

This weekend the Rapids have the task of travelling to hot & dry Texas to face an FC Dallas team that they know they can beat. MLS Cup 2010 references aside, two sendings off for Dallas in the first away game back in May allowed the Rapids to come away with a 2-0 away although at a cost of a nasty ankle injury to Omar Cummings. Omar is back however Conor Casey is a concern having missed training today, presumably due to the same hamstring problem that's kept him out for the last few weeks. We should go for the win, however a draw would keep the feelings of hope alive for us.

San Jose Earthquakes vs Seattle Sounders, Sat 10.30pm

Before facing the Chicago Fire a fortnight ago, Steven Lenhart Wig Night led to a degree of levity for the pre-game team lineup picture and a surreal Harpo Marx ambiance in the stadium. Spectacular saves throughout the game by Chicago goalkeeper Sean Johnson, continually defied the determined efforts of the Earthquakes offense. With extra-time running out after 98 minutes (yes, 98), Lenny pounced on the ball for the latest of late equalizers - the newly hirsute crowd wigged out, and it was blonde-haired bedlam at Buck Shaw. Shea Salinas donned a fan's fake curls leaving the referee stuttering in his wake, uncertain as to whether his celebration was a bookable offence.

The more restrained friendly against Swansea City FC ended in another tie: 2-2, and was our first opportunity to see Mehdi Ballouchy, the curly haired midfielder recently acquired from NYRB - a Ballouchy Wig Night is surely on the cards. After a bye in Week 22, the Earthquakes remain at home for this weekend's match up with Seattle. Despite the cup loss, Seattle are not in Kansas anymore and are coming off a 4-0 romp over the LA Galaxy in MLS play, and will present a tough challenge for the Quakes to keep their home streak alive. The Earthquakes squad are rested, Ballouchy is up to speed, and the synthetic Seattle bounce is absent from the lush green grass of Buck Shaw – I believe the Quakes will remain unbeaten at home.

What a week for Sounders FC. To have such high emotional confidence following a 4-0 destruction of the Los Angeles Galaxy in front of close to 61,000, to a belly blow of losing the US Open Cup final in penalties. We saw a tale of two teams. The first MLS match, a managing clinic by Schmid, made for a deflated Galaxy squad left with no answers and nothing but excuses post match. It was amazing. You couldn't ask for a better way to go into a cup final than Sunday night's contest at the Clink.

Then Sporting Kansas City happened. A team that always seems to bring out the worst play in our squad, reminiscent of the Houston Dynamo teams of the latter part of the previous decade. Ugly physical brutish soccer that results in bodies flying everywhere and tempers lost. At the end of the day, the Sounders can place the blame on referee Ricardo Salazar all they want, maybe justifiably, but missing 3 penalty kicks in a row does not win you hardware.

This Saturday's match against the San Jose Earthquakes will mark the 3rd game in 6 days, the latter two being on the road. It will be asking a lot to think the Sounders can come away with 3 points after the 210 minutes played within a 4 day period, so to come away with a point on the road would be acceptable. However this was a team built to be competitive on multiple fronts, so hopefully we'll see a little more of the newly acquired players, Christian Tiffert and Mario Martinez. How will the team will respond to Wednesday night's final? This Saturday will put this year's team character on full display.

New England Revolution vs Montreal Impact, Sun 7pm

Another week, another frustrating result with more frustrating play. I thought given the results of the past couple weeks, plus being at home, that the Revs were going to come out a blazing, and instead they looked frustrated. Maybe the emotional toll of trading Shalrie was too much for the team this week? Shalrie hadn't played the past few games, so they shouldn't have been missing his presence on the field, so it is possible he had much bigger impact off the field than the team realized.

There were moments in the game that I couldn't understand why they weren't passing the ball to players that were clearly open, instead they were trying to dribble the ball into the goal. I got the feeling that the trust level among the players is at a new low - or everyone wanted to be the hero. Since there is so little positive about this game, I look forward to Sunday against Montreal - news from the front office is that our newest DP Jerry Bengtson will be back from the Olympics to play. His Olympic play was a confusing thing to cheer for - on one hand you want to see him do well (and he did) on the other you want him back on the field playing well for the Revs.

Trading Shalrie, dumping the much touted number 9 Moreno, and Bengtson's play at the Olympics - in summary there was more interesting things happening off the field then on the field versus KC. Against Montreal, I think they will figure it out as long as Bengtson plays. 2-1 Revs.

The Montreal Impact repeated an important feat for the second time in its MLS season: back-to-back MLS wins. The momentum from the win vs the New York Red Bulls followed the team, as the Impact took on the Philadelphia Union. The new ''3-5-2'' for Montreal saw Nesta, Rivas and Ferrari line up against a young, dynamic Union team. With Marco Di Vaio absent, Andrew Wenger took over and scored off a corner-kick before the end of the first half. The game as a whole was not the most exciting but the Impact took care of business. Felipe scored on a scissor kick to seal the deal, probably one of the top goals I have seen in MLS this season.

This Sunday, the Impact take on another patriotic-themed team, the New England Revolution. 5 points behind the Chicago Fire, Montreal cannot afford not-to-win even if the game is away at Gillette Stadium. The Revolution is another young team but has stronger offensive assets than the Union. Last time both teams played, the Impact took a win at home but it was not easy, with Nguyen and Sene always dangerous in different situations.

It will be an interesting test for newly-acquired (goalkeeper swap with the Timbers) Troy Perkins who should face the Revolution on Sunday.

Philadelphia Union vs Chicago Fire, 7pm (Galavision)

Saturday was a disappoint for the Philadelphia Union, to say the least. After flying high for most of John Hackworth's time as interim head coach, the Union came crashing down against the Montreal Impact. A poor performance sent Philadelphia home with a 2-0 loss and an even harder time attempting to force itself back into the playoff race. There was little to take away from the game for the Union, leaving them with only a chance at redemption against the Chicago Fire, on Sunday, as a way to forget about the defeat.

The main story line heading into Saturday has revolved around Bakary Soumare. The tall center back holds the potential to drastically change the Union's entire season, but questions have been posed as to whether or not he's ready to play after knee surgery in March. If Soumare does play on Sunday, his debut would come against his former team, the Fire, and most likely come in place of captain Carlos Valdes, who may be traveling to join up with the Colombian national team.

If Valdes is away, Soumare's inclusion in the starting lineup would provide Philadelphia with its strongest option, given that Porfirio Lopez or Chris Albright remain the only backups at center back otherwise.

Prediction: 1-1. A goal from Josue Martinez, given the start in place of McInerney, who was suspended for his reaction to Nelson Rivas' headbutt of Antoine Hoppenot, brings the Union even, and neither team can do much else.

Seconds after Marco Pappa's errant back pass, the Fire went down 1 nil at home last week to Toronto. If that happened last year, heads would've dropped and confidence levels plummeted. But this is 2012 and Chicago Fire is a completely different animal. Even though they were trailing 1-0 at halftime, I knew they would come back and win - the players did too; turning it around courtesy of a brilliant header by rookie-of-the-year candidate Austin Berry late in the match. Fernandez had a great, though injury-shortened, debut and Frank Klopas also showed his coaching maturity, taking off the lackluster Oduro at halftime and replacing him with DP Sherjill MacDonald, who had an excellent second half. Nyarko also came in for the injured Fernandez and continued his brilliant form.

Philly poses a somewhat different threat for the Fire this Sunday. I expect a very similar lineup to the one against TFC with the only change perhaps being up top, where MacDonald is much better suited to holding the ball up than Oduro. Philly may give a debut to former Fire defender Bakary Soumare which would be a bold move considering that Philly's center back pairing of Okugo and Valdes have played well recently and Soumare hasn't played a first team game in several months. His inclusion could be a positive for the Fire who could exploit the potential new center back partnership. Freddy Adu has had a quiet few games for Philly and the Fire will look to continue that trend Sunday night. The team is on a good run and picking up three away points should be the goal. 2-1 Fire with goals from MacDonald and Rolfe.

Chivas USA vs LA Galaxy, Sun 11pm (ESPN2, ESPND)

Last week, Chivas USA were on a bye, which was a little unfortunate as they were coming off a 1-0 win the previous week against the Portland Timbers in Portland. That victory resulted in a season sweep of the Timbers, which is a nice accomplishment, but Chivas have considerable work to do over the rest of the season if they want to make the playoffs in 2012. One factor that may help is the arrival of midfielder Shalrie Joseph, who was traded from the New England Revolution last week. Considering the weaknesses in midfield and the problems the team has had in providing quality service to the attackers, it is hoped that Joseph can provide an instant upgrade.

The Goats return to action Sunday against the LA Galaxy in the third edition of the 2012 SuperClasico. Each team has taken a game in the series this season, and Los Angeles bragging rights are on the line. In addition, the match has larger implications, as Chivas are chasing the Galaxy for the final playoff spot. As a result, this is one of those proverbial "six-pointers" that could prove crucial to Chivas' playoff hopes at this stage of the season. If they can play Sunday with a stout defense and some attacking creativity, they have a good chance to win the game.

Last week was atrocious for the Galaxy, which is a shame because their form in July was excellent. Defending became an afterthought as the Seattle Sounders seemed able to score at will. Looking back, it's sort of amazing that a back line featuring a rookie, a player still rehabbing from injury, and a player who isn't very good, took this long to have just an absolute stinker. Still, the Galaxy as of late have at least been able to score goals over their stinkers. LA never looked threatening, never recovered from giving up a goal in the first five minutes.

Now this week the Galaxy face the rubber match of this year's SuperClasico series. LA last played Chivas three times in a season back in 2009, when teams played a double round robin and then two extra matches against two regional rivals. Chivas went goalless in three that year - so far this year they've managed one goal from a penalty. With Chivas scoring only 14 goals thus far this year, the story is simple. Either the Galaxy score goals and win, or don't and lose. The possibility for an all out shoot out from these two clubs is minuscule.

It's unlikely the Galaxy DP trio has it in them to contribute as little as they did in Seattle for a second straight week.